Summary
Getting married inStardew Valleyis no easy feat, and it certainly isn’t cheap. With a 250g expense for a bouquet and a 5,000g payout for the Mermaid’s Pendant, players already need to invest at least 5,250g in their spouse - and that’s without mentioning the possible costs of gifts.
The following candidates have been ordered by the total gold of all their gifted items, combined with any gold requirements once married. Unfortunately, gift-giving is random, so there is no concrete way to definitively decipher themost profitable marriage inStardew Valley. Still, this list provides a good idea of the average amount of gold players will receive from their spouses' gifts at any given time.
Some villagers' schedules aren’t quite easy to follow, and pulling up the Wiki every time players want to give a gift becomes quite boring after a while. So, this article will outline the most convenient places to find these candidates while chasing their affection, as simply talking to marriage candidates daily can earn 140 friendship points per week.
Updated on January 21st, 2025, by Jack Pursey:This list has been updated to addKrobus to the list, and deservedly so. While he isn’t exactly a marriage candidate, Krobus can become a player’s roommate if they don’t wish to involve themselves with romance options in Stardew Valley. Further information and tips have also been added to the list.
13Alex
-3,905g Gift Total
Alex’s gifted items areSurvival Burger,Dish O' The Sea,Fried Eel,Crispy Bass,Baked Fish,Omelet,Hashbrowns, andPancakes. He is firmly secured as one of the least profitable marriage candidates, ashe is the only marriage candidate whose requirements total a loss of gold.
InAlex’s fourteen heart event, he asks the player for 5,000g for a “secret project,” which turns out to be for a television set for the saloon. Although the cutscene is a heartwarming one, there is no material benefit to the player from this.
For players looking to romance Alex or simply build friendship with him, the best times to give him gifts are when he’s outside his house or near Dusty’s doghouse. These spots are ideal since there are no time constraints imposed by town buildings. Alex can typically be found standing outside his house near the tree from around 8 a.m. throughout the year, and in the evenings, he’s often by the doghouse from around 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., making these times perfect for catching him and offering a gift.
12Sam
655g - 677g Gift Total
Sam can gift the playerCactus Fruit,Coconut,Earth Crystal,Geode,Pizza, andPancakes.With a lack of gift options and very limited food items(which tend to be the more expensive gifts), Sam doesn’t quite make the cut as a profitable marriage candidate when considering the number of years it would take to make back the 5,250g spent to get to marriage.
With the Tiller and Gemologist professions, Sam’s gifts can be worth more than base value. With the Tiller profession, Cactus Fruit goes up in price from 75g to 82g and with the Gemologist profession, Earth Crystal can earn 65g as opposed to 50g. Moreover, when cracking the Geode given for 25g at Clint’s, more money could be made depending on what is inside.
Players can give gifts to villagers twice a week, and gifting two loved items per week will increase friendship by 170 points (+80 points per gift, plus a +10 bonus on Sunday). The optimal times to visit Sam for this are Mondays and Wednesdays, as he works at JojaMart during those days and can be found in the same location from 12:50 p.m. to 4 p.m. Once the Community Center is restored and Joja is disbanded, he begins working at the Museum instead.
11Sebastian
815g - 947g Gift Total
Sebastian is one of three candidates who willgive a special gift on Winter 28to celebrate New Year’s Eve. This gift isBeer, which can be sold for 200g or280g with the Artisan profession. Sebastian’s regular gifted items areCoffee,Obsidian,Void Essence,Bat Wing,Frozen Tear,Amethyst, andCave Carrot.
With the Gemologist profession, both Frozen Tear and Amethyst are worth more. Frozen Tear goes from 75g to 97g, and Amethyst goes from 100g to 130g.
After achieving two or more hearts with Sebastian, players gain access to his room, where he spends the majority of his time. A huge part of Sebastian’s storyline is that he works as a freelance programmer and coder, so on almost all days, he will be in his room for prolonged periods.
10Harvey
1,190g Gift Total
Harvey gives some quite basic giftsthat are given by several other marriage candidates. However, the inclusion ofComplete BreakfastandSalmon Dinner(sold at 350g and 300g respectively) bumps up his total considerably.
Other than these two gifts, Harvey also givesCrispy Bass,Fried Eel,Carp Surprise, andVegetable Medley. Harvey doesleave the farm to work at the Clinicon several days, so when this happens, players are less likely to be able to receive a gift from him before leaving the farm.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Harvey provides annual checkups to villagers, making him available at the clinic all day. The clinic’s hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., so it’s recommended to visit him in the morning to avoid losing track of time later in the day.
While Harvey can be challenging to gift to, a great way to earn his loved gifts is by completing Evelyn’s Special Order request, which rewards players with aCoffee Maker. This handy device produces one Coffee every morning, a perfect gift for Harvey.
9Elliott
1,110g - 1,270g Gift Total
Elliott is another candidate who gives a special gift on Winter 28 to celebrate New Year’s Eve. His gift isWine, which can be sold for 400g at base value or 560g with the Artisan profession. Elliott’s other gifts areCoffee,Baked Fish,Fried Calamari,Chowder, andFish Stew.
The inclusion of Wine helps Elliottout a great deal as a marriage candidate. Without it (and without the player taking the Artisan profession), his total would be less than both Harvey’s and Sebastian’s - moving him down two places.
Like Sebastian, Elliott’s storyline influences his schedule a lot. He can typically be found at his cabin in the mornings, presumably working on his novel, before heading out to various locations throughout the day. Elliott visits places like Pierre’s, the docks, the bridge north of his house, the saloon, the forest, and the museum library year-round, making him a challenge to pin down. To easily give Elliott two gifts per week, the best time to visit is between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. at his house, once players have reached two or more hearts with him. During this time, he’s most likely to be found indoors, making it the perfect opportunity to catch him.
8Shane
1,285g - 1,517g Gift Total
Shane’s total changes based on two professions: Artisan and Rancher. Given that two of his gifts are farm products and another two are artisan goods,Shane’s total relies heavily on the correct professions.
The gifts given by Shane areBeer,Large Egg,Pale Ale,Void Egg,Pepper Poppers,Omelet, andPizza. With the Artisan profession, Beer increases from 200g to 280g and Pale Ale increases from 300g to 420g when sold. If players choose the Rancher profession, Large Egg goes from 95g to 114g, and Void Egg goes from 65g to 78g.
Shane has one of the easiest schedules to follow inStardew Valley, as he works a consistent 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift at JojaMart. In the evenings, unsurprisingly, he visits the saloon. Gifting Shane is straightforward, especially at the Saloon, where one of his loved items—Pizza—is always available for purchase from Gus at the bar. This makes it simple to keep up with gifting, ensuring players can easily maintain their relationship with Shane throughout the week.
7Maru
1,409g Gift Total
Maru’s gifted items tend to bemore useful than profitablewith the inclusion ofWarp Totem: Farm, aGate,Quality Fertilizer, various bombs, andRefined Quartz. But due to the variety of her items, she earns her spot as one of the more profitable marriage candidates inStardew Valley.
Maru’s other gifted items areRice Pudding,Blueberry Tart,Cookie,Chocolate Cake,Fried Mushroom, andCrab Cakes. With some great selling prices, these dishes are good gifts to receive. Even without selling, Crab Cakes are particularly useful to eat while mining or in Skull Cavern, asthey give +1 Speedand +1 Defense stats as well as +225 Energy and +101 Health.
Throughout the year, Maru works at Harvey’s clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:40 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Since the clinic closes at 3 p.m., it’s best to visit in the morning to avoid missing her. If players want to increase their friendship with both Maru and Harvey, it’s quite easy to gift them on these days, as they are both guaranteed to be at the clinic at the same time. This makes it a convenient opportunity to boost friendship with both characters in one visit.
6Krobus
1,495g - 1,693g Gift Total
Krobus is an excellent alternative to the usual marriage candidates inStardew Valleyfor players who prefer to skip romance. Not only are the gifts he gives highly profitable when paired with the right professions but some of his loved gifts can be easily produced at no cost, making him a smart, low-effort choice for players looking to maximize their income. One standout gift that Krobus loves is theVoid Egg, which comes from the Witch’s curse on the player’s Coop. Once incubated, the Void Egg hatches into a Void Chicken that, with proper care, produces a Void Egg daily—an endlessly renewable source of valuable gifts.
Krobus offers a variety of gifts depending on the weather. On rainy mornings, he can give players aSea Urchin,Void Egg,Void Mayonnaise, orVoid Salmon. On non-rainy days, he may presentFried Eel,Lucky Lunch, or aPoppyseed Muffin. But regardless of the weather, he can always give players aStrange Bun. The Artisan profession is worth acquiring if rooming with Krobus, as it increases Void Mayonnaise from 275g at base value to 385g, an increase of 110g. Furthermore, if Krobus gifts the player a Void Egg, this can easily be turned into Void Mayonnaise and be just as profitable.
The Sewers, home to Krobus, are unlocked after players donate 60 items to the Valley’s Museum. While he doesn’t take part in any festivals, his permanent and easily accessible location makes him simple to visit, gift, and talk to once the area is unlocked. This makes maintaining a relationship with him straightforward, without the hassle of worrying about limited opportunities or special events.
5Leah
1,560g - 1,741g Gift Total
Leah hasthe most options for gifted itemsout of all marriage candidates and is the third villager to offer a special gift on Winter 28 to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Her special gift is alsoWine, which (like with Elliott) sells at a base value of 400g or 560g with the Artisan profession.
Leah’s gifts areChanterelle,Common Mushroom,Red Mushroom,Morel,Coffee,Wild Horseradish,Daffodil,Leek,Dandelion,Cactus Fruit,Fiddlehead Fern,Spice Berry,Sweet Pea, andSalad. With the Tiller profession, Cactus Fruit increases from 75g to 82g, Fiddlehead Fern increases from 90g to 99g, and Sweet Pea increases from 50g to 55g.Leah is generally a profitable marriage candidate, although the randomization of gifts may result in her lower-priced items being more common than her high-value gifts.
Leah’s passion for woodworking means she spends a lot of time at her home or in the forest. However, the easiest way to gift her twice a week is by visiting her at the Saloon in the evenings on rainy days, Thursdays, and Fridays. Additionally, Salad, one of Leah’s loved gifts, is always available for purchase at the Saloon, making it convenient for players to maintain a steady gifting routine.
4Abigail
1,690g - 1,750g Gift Total
Abigail also has quite a lot of options when it comes to gifts. Her gifted items are as follows:Solar Essence,Bat Wing,Void Essence,Amethyst,Fire Quartz,Parsnip Soup,Tom Kha Soup,Trout Soup,Chowder,Lobster Bisque,Cherry Bomb,Bomb,Fried Mushroom, andCrab Cakes.
Similar to Maru, Abigail’s presents include dishes and items useful for mining in the Skull Cavern. With the Gemologist profession, both Fire Quartz and Amethyst increase from 100g to 130g sell price -making Abigail a solid option for marriage when considering the gold that can be earned from her gifts.
Abigail has a rather sporadic schedule, as she frequently visits the Mountains, the Saloon, the Wizard’s Tower, the Bus Stop, the Library, and the Pier at various times throughout the seasons. The best opportunity to gift her is early in the morning when she is guaranteed to be inside Pierre’s store, typically from 9 a.m. to around 10:30 a.m. This ensures players can easily find her and gift her without the risk of missing her due to her ever-changing whereabouts.
